Chapter 9: Electronic Commerce Software

1
Chapter 9Electronic Commerce Software

• Electronic Commerce, Sixth Edition

2
Objectives

• In this chapter, you will learn about
• Finding and evaluating Web hosting services
• Basic functions of electronic commerce software
• Advanced functions of electronic commerce
  software

3
Objectives (continued)

• Electronic commerce software for small and
  midsize businesses
• Electronic commerce software for midsize to large
  businesses
• Electronic commerce software for large businesses
  that have an existing information technology
  infrastructure

4
Web Hosting Alternatives

• Self-hosting
• Running servers in-house
• Commerce service providers (CSPs)
• Provide Internet access to companies and
  individuals
• Offer Web server management and the renting of
  application software

5
Web Hosting Alternatives (continued)

• Shared hosting
• Clients Web site is on a server that hosts other
  Web sites simultaneously
• Dedicated hosting
• Service provider makes a Web server available to
  a client
• Co-location
• Service provider rents a physical space to the
  client to install its own server hardware

6
The List Web Host Directory
7
Basic Functions of Electronic Commerce Software

• All electronic commerce solutions must provide
• A catalog display
• Shopping cart capabilities
• Transaction processing

8
Basic Functions of Electronic Commerce Software
(continued)

• Additional software components
• Middleware
• Application integration
• Web services
• Integration with enterprise resource planning
  (ERP) software
• Supply chain management (SCM) software

9
Catalog Display

• Catalog
• Listing of goods and services
• Static catalog
• Simple list written in HTML that appears on a Web
  page
• Dynamic catalog
• Stores information about items in a database

10
Small Electronic Commerce Site
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Shopping Cart

• Problems with forms-based shopping
• Shoppers had to write down product information
  before going to the order form
• Customers sometimes forgot whether they had
  clicked the submit button
• Confusing and error prone

12
Using a Form to Enter an Order
13
Shopping Cart (continued)

• Forms-based method of ordering has given way to
  electronic shopping carts
• Shopping cart
• Keeps track of items a customer has selected
• Allows customers to view contents of their carts,
  add new items, or remove items

14
Typical Shopping Basket Page
15
Transaction Processing

• Occurs when a shopper proceeds to the virtual
  checkout counter by clicking a checkout button
• Calculation complications
• Computing taxes and shipping costs
• Provisions for coupons, special promotions, and
  time-sensitive offers

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Advanced Functions of Electronic Commerce Software

• Middleware
• Establishes a connection between electronic
  commerce software and an accounting system
• Interoperability
• Making a companys information systems work
  together

17
BEA Technology Solutions Page
18
Enterprise Application Integration and Databases

• Application program
• Program that performs a specific function
• Application server
• Computer that takes request messages received by
  the Web server and runs application programs
• Business logic
• Rules used in the business

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Application Integration and Databases (continued)

• Page-based application systems
• Return pages generated by scripts
• Component-based application system
• Separates presentation logic from business logic
• Database manager
• Software that stores information in a highly
  structured way

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Application Integration and Databases (continued)

• Distributed information systems
• Large information systems that store the same
  data in many different physical locations
• Distributed database systems
• Databases within distributed information systems

21
Web Services

• Combination of software tools that let
  application software in one organization
  communicate with other applications over a
  network
• Companies are using Web services to offer
  improved customer service and reduce costs

22
SOAP, UDDI, and WSDL

• Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)
• Message-passing protocol
• Web Services Description Language (WSDL)
• Describes characteristics of logic units that
  make up specific Web services
• Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration
  (UDDI) specification
• Set of protocols that identify locations of Web
  services and their associated WSDL descriptions

23
Integration with ERP Systems

• Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software
  packages
• Business systems that integrate all facets of a
  business
• Major ERP vendors
• Baan, Oracle, PeopleSoft, and SAP
• Typical installation of ERP software costs
  between 2 million and 25 million

24
ERP System Integration with EDI
25
Electronic Commerce Software for Small and
Midsize Companies

• CSPs
• Have same advantages as ISP hosting services
• Low cost is biggest single advantage
• Offer free or low-cost electronic commerce
  software for building electronic commerce sites

26
Interland Web Hosting Services Home Page
27
Mall-Style Commerce Service Providers

• Provide small businesses with
• Internet connection
• Web site creation tools
• Little or no banner advertising clutter
• Provide shopping cart software
• CSPs that offer mall-style commerce services
• eBay Stores and Yahoo! Store

28
Yahoo! Store

• Serves as the business Web host for
• Kennedy Space Center Space Shop
• The Sharper Image
• PalmPilotGear
• Merchants can create, change, and maintain their
  Yahoo! storefronts through a Web browser

29
Bigstep

• Received many industry awards for its CSP
  offering
• Provides two different storefront packages
• Reports
• Provide data-mining capabilities
• Data mining
• Looking for hidden patterns in data

30
Electronic Commerce Software for Midsize to
Large Businesses

• Midrange packages allow a merchant to have
  explicit control over
• Merchandising choices
• Site layout
• Internal architecture
• Remote and local management options

31
Intershop Enfinity

• Intershop Enfinity MultiSite provides
• Search and catalog capabilities
• Electronic shopping carts
• Online credit card transaction processing
• The ability to connect to existing back-end
  business systems and databases

32
IBM WebSphere Commerce Professional Edition

• Set of software components that provides software
  suitable for midsize to large businesses
• Includes
• Catalog templates
• Setup wizards
• Advanced catalog tools

33
Microsoft Commerce Server 2002

• Allows businesses to sell products or services on
  the Web using the following tools
• User profiling and management
• Transaction processing
• Product and service management
• Target audience marketing
• Provides many predefined reports for analyzing
  site activities and product sales data

34
Electronic Commerce Software for Large Businesses

• Examples of enterprise-class products that can be
  used to run a large online business
• IBM WebSphere Commerce Business Edition
• Oracle E-Business Suite
• Broadvision One-To-One Commerce
• Enterprise-class software
• Typically provides good tools for linking to and
  supporting supply and purchasing activities

35
Typical Enterprise-Class Electronic Commerce
Architecture
36
Customer Relationship Management Software

• Must obtain data from operations software that
  conducts activities such as
• Sales automation
• Customer service center operations
• Marketing campaigns
• Must also gather data about
• Customer activities on the companys Web site and
  any other points of contact

37
Supply Chain Management Software

• Helps companies to coordinate planning and
  operations with their partners in the industry
  supply chains
• Performs two general types of functions
• Planning
• Execution

38
Content Management Software

• Should be tested before making a commitment
• Employees should find a softwares procedures for
  performing regular maintenance to be
  straightforward
• Helps companies control the large amounts of
  text, graphics, and media files

39
Documentum Content Management Web Site
40
Knowledge Management Software

• Helps companies do four main things
• Collect and organize information
• Share information among users
• Enhance ability of users to collaborate
• Preserve knowledge gained through use of
  information

41
Summary

• Company must first choose between paying a
  service provider to host the site and
  self-hosting
• External hosting options
• Shared hosting, dedicated hosting, and
  co-location
• Key elements of electronic commerce software
• Catalogs, shopping carts, and transaction
  processing capabilities

42
Summary (continued)

• Commerce service provider (CSP)
• Used by small enterprises just starting an
  electronic commerce initiative
• If a company already has computing equipment and
  staff in place purchasing a midrange electronic
  commerce software package provides more control
  over a site
• Large enterprises with high transaction rates
  need to invest in larger, more customizable
  systems